THE DEVIL WEARS KOLHAPURI

A global backlash put Prada on the backfoot, but what of the Maharashtrian craftsmen who craft the signature footwear?

- By Dhaval S. Kulkarni

PRADA. KOLHAPURI. NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MATCH? Well, the Italian brand has a knack for turning 'inverse snobbery' into high fashion, but it went an extra dusty mile this time. Late June, Kolhapuri-styled sandals catwalked at the Milan Fashion Week. But Prada, er, forgot to tag its humble, Third World provenance. And priced them at Rs 1.2 lakhin India, you can score a decent pair for one-hundredth of that. A global backlash about 'cultural appropriation' forced Prada on the back foot. Its belated chagrin also put the spotlight back where it belongs: on the Maharashtrian craftsmen who braid centuries of design heritage into each piece they make.Hand-crafted from leather, vegetable-dyed, ubiquitous but unique, these artefacts come from the hammers and awls of artisans in Karvir, Shirol, Kagal and Hatkanangale in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district. A heritage with a distinct socio-economic footprint.